Man gets prison term for assault

Resident injures two officers in incident

January 23, 2013

ESCANABA - An Escanaba man was sentenced this week to up to eight years in prison for resisting arrest and causing injury to a police officer last fall.

Travis Lawrence DeGrave, 33, of 1402 1st Ave. N., upper apt., Escanaba, was sentenced to two years and six months to up to eight years in prison for assaulting/resisting/obstructing causing injury to a police officer. He was also sentenced as an habitual offender.

Judge Stephen Davis handed down the judgment in Delta County Circuit Court on Tuesday. DeGrave had pleaded guilty to both charges.

At 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 20, 2012, DeGrave was violating his probation curfew when an Escanaba Public Safety officer searched his pockets with consent and found drugs in his pocket, according to police testimony presented in district court on Oct. 25.

DeGrave then fled to the stairs of a second-floor apartment where he resisted arrest and injured the two officers in the struggle; a third officer came to the scene and tasered DeGrave in a doorway, according to testimony. DeGrave was apprehended.

One of the two officers injured sought medical treatment for an injury; the other officer who was drug to the top of the stairs by DeGrave while trying to apprehend the subject, did not seek treatment, according to court testimony.

DeGrave was originally charged with one count of assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer, a four-year felony, and two counts of assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer, each a two-year felony. The two lesser felonies were dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea to the four-year felony and the second offender notice.

In addition to the prison sentencing, DeGrave was ordered to pay $198 in fines and costs. The prison term is to be served after two prior judgments are served, according to court records.